Renter's Rights
What are your rights as a renter?
Times past most of our neighborhood was single family owner occupied homes. Today a large number of us living here rent their home or apartment. This trend will continue as long as home prices increase faster than wages. Some of the landlords are large corporations and some are individual home owners who have retired and support themselves with rental income from the house they themselves had lived in. Most homes in our neighborhood were built in the 1950s. The quality of original construction is in many cases better than today's standards yet these older houses are beginning to require more extensive and expensive repairs to maintain. Our Neighborhood Association meets every 2nd Monday of the month at Seattle Congregational Church 15517 27th Ave at 7:00 PM. At that meeting you can find neighbors familiar with rent's rights issues who can help you figure out what to do and how to protect yourself legally.
Maintain the dwelling so it does not violate state and local codes in ways that endanger the tenant's health and safety. Maintain the structure, including roofs, floors and chimneys, in reasonably good repair. Maintain the dwelling in reasonably weather-tight condition. Provide reasonably adequate locks and keys. Provide equipment necessary to supply heat, electricity and hot and cold water. Provide garbage cans and arrange for removal of garbage, except in single family dwellings. Keep common areas, such as lobbies, stairways and halls, reasonably clean and free from hazards. Control pests before the tenant moves in. The landlord must continue to control infestations except in single family dwellings, or when the infestation was caused by the tenant. Make repairs to keep the unit in the same condition as when the tenant moved in (except for normal wear and tear). Keep electrical, plumbing and heating systems in good repair, and maintain any appliances that are provided with the rental. Provide the tenant with the name and address of the landlord or landlord's agent. Set water heaters at 120? when a new tenant moves in. Note: A landlord is not responsible for the cost of correcting problems caused by the tenant.
What happens when the landlord does not make the repairs necessary in a timely manner? Shoreline does not have separate landlord tenant laws. We are covered by Washington State Law RCW 59.18. Most of us are not able to afford a lawyer but most of the important provisions are explained in easy to understand language in a pamphlet called Landlord Tenant Law put out by Consumer Resource Center Office of the Attorney General Rob McKenna. It is available at the library, most food banks and on line. The law stipulates that under certain specific conditions rent money may be used to pay for repairs. But the renter must do all of these things. 1 Be up to date on rent. If rent is owed, you cannot do this. 2 The renter must notify the landlord in writing of the repair required. You must use certified mail or have a person who is not a tenant visually observe you handing the repair request to the landlord or their agent. 3 You must wait the required amount of time for the landlord to begin repairs. That is 24 hours for imminent health and safety hazards and 72 hours for refrigerator and stoves and ten days for all other problems. 4 You must submit an estimate in writing and give the landlord notice that if the repairs are not started by the time required you will do the repairs and deduct the cost from the rent. There are very significant limitations to how much can be deducted. If you pay for the work done you must submit a receipt along with the remaining rent. The landlord has a right to inspect the work. The repairs can not be more than one month's rent. The law gives renters certain rights but it is impossible to give all the details. It is essential that you read the pamphlet completely. Make sure your landlord is advised in writing that you are going to do the repairs and deduct the cost from the next months rent. You can not simply withhold rent because repairs are not done.
-Bill Bear